1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to a container for dispensing beverages such as fruit juices with access to allow a straw into the container, and more particularly to a beverage container with an integral access means arranged to permit a straw to be introduced into the container which access means being adapted to provide venting for the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been found that containers for beverages, such as fruit juices and the like, may be advantageously made of several plies of paper, fiber, plastic or other materials, as well as combinations thereof. Such containers can be made relatively inexpensively yet they are attractive to the customers. Often such containers are provided at least on one surface with a round access hole covered with aluminum foil or other sheet material secured to the container. The beverage is dispensed from the container via a straw, frequently removably secured to the container. For use, the straw is removed from the container, and its tip, which may be slanted to form a piercing point, is used to puncture through and push the cover material out of the hole. The straw is then inserted into the container and used in the normal fashion. A frequent problem with such containers is that because of the very nature of the materials used to make them, the container sidewalls are relatively soft. When a person holds the container while using the straw to break the cover, he inadvertently squeezes the container sidewalls generating a positive pressure to build up therein. Moreover, pressure within the container may also build while the container is being filled, or because of extraneous heat. As a result, when the straw is inserted into the container, liquid may spurt out of the access hole, and/or through the container. Another problem with the above-described containers is that normally the diameter of the round straw conforms to the diameter of the access hole so that once the straw is inserted a seal is formed between the straw and the container wall. This seal prevents air from getting into the container while the beverage is sucked out through the straw. As a result, a negative pressure is generated inside the container which eventually forces the container to collapse before its contents are fully dispensed or to burp when sucking is stopped.